


Together or not at all

by MarvelWho4



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Everyone Is Poly Because Avengers, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, F/M, Multi, Nebula & Tony Stark Friendship, Nebula (Marvel) Feels, Nebula (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers Angst, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 21:50:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18214091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarvelWho4/pseuds/MarvelWho4
Summary: Nebula and Tony are in Titan, broken, sad, empty.Steve, Natasha and the others are in earth hopeless.They all failed because they were not together. But they are going to do something to fix it. Whatever it takes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys. I started this fic after Infinity war. I wasn't sure about share it but what the hell.  
> English is not my first language so I'm sorry for the mistakes.  
> I hope you enjoy it. :)
> 
> And yes, the name of the fic is from the ost of Doctor Who. I'm in love. XD

Chapter I. - Unexpected Company.

They did not know how long they had been sitting looking at the ground. Nor did they want to know. They had seen the rest of the people who were there turn to ashes in front of their own eyes and that could only mean one thing. "He did it," said the blue young woman some time ago. Thanos had gotten all the infinity stones and used them. Half the universe had disintegrated like the people they knew.

The two surviving people, the young woman and the millionaire, thought the situation was very ironic. Both, for different reasons, thought it would be they who would fall in combat, but no, there they were, breathing while the rest had gone. Was that a cruel joke of fate?

Tony Stark, for a moment, looked at his hands hoping to start disappearing as well, but he did not. And he thought there was no worse punishment than that, losing people right under his nose without him being able to do something. The moment the young Parker hugged him begging to stay was still tormenting him. He was just a child. For a second he wished he had disappeared as well. He shook his head. He has to return to Earth, see who was still alive, help the remaining survivors. But then what? They would jump for Thanos again? Suicidal mission?

Nebula was not much better. It wasn't right at all. She had finally recovered, or almost recovered, her sister, she had started a kind of relationship with the guardians, she visited them from time to time, and suddenly this happens. She is captured and used as bait for Gamora to confess where the gem of the soul was. Which cost her her her life. The young woman couldn't feel any guiltier. But something in her kept stirring, a feeling of hatred, of revenge. She would finish Thanos with her own hands no matter what.

Tony rose with some difficulty. He looked around to see the ravages of the battle against the Titan. They were going to need much more to face him again. Much more. He turned to see the bluish young woman in the same position he was in not even two minutes ago. Who was she, by the way? She had come from nowhere and fought Thanos with them. For a moment he though that they had exchanged a few words, but he could not confirm it. What he did think he understood was that she knew Gamora, Quill's friend, and their team.

Stark approached her slowly and stopped by her side. Observing her, he noticed that her left arm was robotic. And not just the arm, many of the visible parts of her body were. She also noticed that her right ankle was almost twisted in any way. "Machine, too," he thought.

"Do you think you can get up?" he asked in a completely flat voice. "I think we can use your friends' ship to get out of here."

Nebula looked at the man's face. Tired, bruised and lifeless nowhere. She nodded. She used her hands to propel herself and managed to stop, but staggered a bit. The man stretched his arms around her in case she fell, without touching. The moment she stabilized, he withdrew. Nebula thanked the gesture. She did not like contact of any kind.

They walked slowly toward the ship, Nebula limping. It took them a few minutes, which they passed in complete silence. When they arrived they entered and Tony looked for the lock near the entrance. He didn't want to see that landscape anymore.

The ship was larger than it seemed at first glance, and he hoped it would not be difficult for him to adapt to it, although he would not spend more time than necessary between those walls.

"It's bigger inside," he said.

Nebula felt she had heard those words before. Maybe from herself. But she said nothing.

Nebula seemed to know the ship so he waited until she decided to walk to follow her. They arrived in a small room with several closets, a couple of seats and a shower. It almost looked like a miniature high school locker room. Nebula stopped in the middle of the room.

"This is where they keep the medicine cabinets and that things," she reported before looking him in the face. "I don't know how to cure a skin wound very well, but if you need help, let me know. I will do what I can."

"Thank you" thanked him as he moved into the closets to look at their contents. "It won't take me long. When I'm done I'll look for something to help you; you've got several shattered parts."

Seeing that the woman did not answer, he turned to look at her face. Inexpressive, empty. Could it be because he was practically a robot or because he didn't want to let his emotions out? Whatever it was, Tony didn't think he had enough confidence to ask. "If you want to, of course."

Nebula stared at him. So much so that Tony almost thought he would go through him. The woman made a small nod, almost nil, before going to the door, still limping. "I'll get something to eat. Take your time."

"Trust issues," Tony said to himself. He had been through a lot, maybe more than he could but his new partner looks just as broken as him.

\-----

Twenty minutes later, Tony left the room, his stomach wound healed and bandaged. He also treated the small ones he had for the rest of his body. He took a quick shower and borrowed clothes from someone. Quill, he guessed. He took a little walk until he reached the kitchen. A table, several chairs and more cupboards. That was it.

Nebula was sitting on one of the chairs, leaning her head on her hands, looking at nothingness. When she looked up and saw the man she spoke. "I don't know what you will eat on your planet, but I hope you like the food we have here," she said pointing to the things she had picked up and placed there. 

"Thank you." Tony sat across the street and they both ate in silence. They weren't especially hungry after what had just happened, but they knew they needed the food and to be as healthy as possible. They still had a long way to go, they couldn't afford to fall for a stupid thing like not eating.

"What's your name?" Stark asked as he picked up the empty cans to take them to what he assumed was trash, and he got it right.

"Nebula."

"I'm Tony Stark, Iron Man" even though she hadn't asked him, he introduced himself. It would be rude not to, wouldn't it?

"Are you terrestrial?"

"Yes, why?"

"Quill is too. It self-proclaimed Star-Lord. Do all the special people there get weird names?"

"Eh... Just heroes, I guess. Why, I don't know. Maybe not to reveal our true identity. Although I did it very soon" Nebula looked at him without fully understanding him. Tony shook his head. "It's nothing. We have two names and that's it. Well, let's fix you up, that's what's important. Where will the machinery things could be?" he wondered as he glanced around, but didn't get a good look. "I could use the nanobytes I have left, but I don't know how they would fit into your system. I mean, I don't know it. Although I can leave you well in your fair measure and when I get home I'll help you more. There I have everything I need and..."

"Is something wrong?"

"Where are we going to go?" he asked turning to her. "I mean, I know that on Earth I have my machinery, my things, and some of my friends will still be fine, they have to be, but where do you want to go?"

Nebula hadn't really thought about it. She had always gone on her own, on her own ship. Looking for information and a way to defeat Thanos but now, she wasn't sure that was the best. She had a hard time admitting it, but they were going to have to work together to get something.

Tony noticed the debate the young woman was having in her own head. So he did what anyone would do. "Come with me, to Earth. There we'll find a solution, I'm sure."

Nebula nodded. What else could she do?

\------  
A while later, thanks to Nebula, they had found what they needed to momentarily fix the young woman's arm and ankle. Gamora always had help ready for her sister. Nebula swallowed. Even when she wasn't there she takes care of her.

Tony worked quickly but efficiently and it took him no more than thirty minutes to help. It would have taken less with his technology, but the work was done, that was the important thing. What he saw was that it wasn't the first time those parts had been damaged, they had dozens of arrangements, some better than others.

"Speak." He looked up at her counfued. "You look like you're thinking about something. You can ask."

"I have noticed that your robotic parts have been touched many times, perhaps too many times. And they were well placed, I suppose, but I would have done better and more carefully, really."

"... I've been looking for Thanos everywhere for a long time. These wounds, if it can be called that, are a small price to pay," she shrugged. " I can barely felt them now."

"Why do you hate him so much?" He wasn't sure if she would answer, but she did.

"The reason I'm a machine almost completely is him." Tony looked at her and Nebula almost read his mind. He thought the reason for placing the pieces was because of an injury, but if she hated him for it, it didn't make sense. It would have saved his life in that case. "Thanos made me and Gamora fight since we were little. The loser was being punished. A part of her body was exchanged for an artificial part waiting for her to get better. Gamora never lost. 

"B-but that's it..."

"I don't blame Gamora for always winning. She was young, like me, she wanted to survive and winning was what she needed" maybe in the past she did, she did blame Gamora, but not now. Gamora had shown her her feelings and guilt was one of them. Nebula forgave her, but never told her.

"How many times?" Stark asked, clenching his fists. "How many times did you fight?"

"Forty-three." Tony swore at that moment to beat Thanos. Hit him and make him bleed forty-three times.

\-----

They decided to sleep, or at least rest, because they both knew they couldn't sleep before leaving for Earth. Tony entered Quill's room but Nebula didn't dare enter any. Not after what had happened. She wouldn't confess it, but this ship and the people who lived on it were like a fsmily, a home. And seeing it empty hurt her more than she thought. So she went to the kitchen area and sat there. Waiting.

A few hours later she decided to change her clothes, hers needed a wash and it was broken everywhere. She took Quill's trousers and a Gamora T-shirt that she found there. She didn't want to, but at the same time, she wanted to take something of her sister with her. She arrived at the command post and saw Tony sitting investigating the controls.

"Oh, hello," he greeted. "I've been watching and I can control the ship without problems. I can even put it on autopilot. On Earth it would take about fourteen hours, but we have to make a stop first, so maybe it's about eighteen or twenty."

"Where are we going to stop?" asked the young woman leaning on the chair where she was sitting.

"Vormir." Nebula was completely paralyzed. Her eyes froze and she stopped breathing for a few seconds until she was able to function again.

"Why?"

"Thanos took Gamora there, didn't he?" he asked, to which she nodded. "Let's see what happened."

"Why are you doing this?" Nebula didn't understand the millionaire's motives, what did he gain from it? 

"I'm not sure, but we need all the necessary clues. Everything can help for the counterattack." 

\------

Upon arrival at Vormir, Tony was the first to get off the ship to take a close look. Nebula didn't come down. She stood inside looking at the landscape in front of her. Dark, sad. Almost as much as herself. She didn't want to go out. She didn't want to face whatever was there. Was there anything left of Gamora? Was she ready to see it? The answer was no. But she still would. She took a small step forward and the rest came alone.


	2. The body

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, here is the second chapter.  
> Please, forgive me for the mistakes, english is not my first language.  
> Aaaaand, I think I made Nebula a little OOC, but I'm triying. T^T
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!!

Nebula went down to the planet and took a deep breath. She was already there, there was no turning back. He looked towards his companion, the dark-haired man of middle age who was a few steps in front of her. He was quiet, but seemed to be staring towards the front. And it was then when the young blue woman look and saw a large stone structure not far from them.

Nebula walked and it and she stop to the side of the man.

"Are you ready?" he asked while looking to the front.

She nodded and they both headed for the place.

Went by a road somewhat rocky and inclined, only to reach the top of the place, and there he realized that they were not alone. A figure covered by a layer expected in the center of the top.

Noticing them the presence turned around, but they still could not see the face of the person. Tony and Nebula came closer, but carefully. Something in the figure told them that it was not violent, at least not right now, but for their way of being, they always did have an eye on everything.

"Anthony Stark, Iron Man, the son of Howard Stark," spoke the creature, a man, no doubt, by the voice. Tony looked at him with curiosity. What he knew? "Nebula, daughter of Thanos."

Nebula made a grimace and clenched fists, a thing that did not go unnoticed by Tony, who, at the same time, seemed to be fitting together the pieces of the puzzle that linked to his new partner with the Titan. It was his daughter but why the punishment then? It was something that I wanted to know, but he respect the privacity of the woman. He knew she was not ready. At least not so soon. And least with an almost-stranger.

"Who are you?" asked Tony "what do you know?"

"It is my punishment to know who comes to this place and why. Although, I will say I knew your father personally." It was then when the hood of the creature fell, and a head, more of a skull, totally red was left to see. Tony almost surprised. Almost

"You Are Red Skull."

"In effect. I've been here since my defeat in the War. My duty was to guide to the gem of the soul to those who wanted to possess it, but only one person has been able to do it."

"Thanos."

Red skull looked to the female voice, Nebula, the daughter of the man who did what hundreds could not.

"Yes, your father. I assume that he has already used all. I have been able to notice it."

"Was he...?" Tony didn't know how to ask questions without the answer in pain, that was a sure thing "was there someone with him?"

Tony looked at Red Skull. Red skull looked at Nebula. Nebula looked at the floor.

"Yes, Gamora, his daughter, was with him."

"Where is she?" again asked Tony waiting for something as a response. Something good. 

Red skull, instead of responding with words, made a gesture to follow him, before walking to the edge of the cliff. There he stood looking to the front.

Tony took a couple of steps to the front. Nebula, upon hearing the footsteps she looked up. He looked at the man, staring back at her. Then both walked slowly up to get next to Red Skull.

"... Look down," he said simply before stepping back and turning away from the scene. "A part of her is still here."

Both did it and, my God, almost preferred not to have done it.   
There, in the background, lying on the rocks, was a body.   
A motionless body. A woman, with green skin and reddish hair.

Tony looked quickly to his right to see Nebula.   
If he had been struck by the moment, he did not want to imagine what the young woman had to have in her head.

Nebula stood motionless, her eyes wide as saucers, her breathing short and quick, she began to tremble and fell to her knees on the floor.

Tony, who recognized the symptoms perfectly, decided to do something. Something he did not know if it was helpful or stupid.   
Using the little technology he had left, he put the armor on his legs and launched himself off the cliff. When he was about to arrive, he slowed the fall.

He approached the woman, crouched down and took her in his arms. It was cold, completely cold. A dead body in his arms.   
But it did not disappear from nowhere.

Tony shook his head, it was not time to think about that.   
Grasping the woman hard, she pushed herself back and flew to the top again.

When he arrived, he bent down again, this time to place the body.   
Nebula turned quickly and approached as close as she could.   
She took one of the woman's hands in hers and could feel the cold.

"She's dead" she thought "she's dead and it's my fault."

If she had not gone on her own, had not entered Thanos's ship so many months ago, if she had not been so weak he would not have got the information he needed about the stone and Gamora would be alive.

At last they had managed to separate the past, or almost, they were going back to being what they once were so many years ago. And she had failed her. She had failed the only time she should not have done it.

"To get the gem of the soul a sacrifice was necessary," Red Skull began to explaing, before being asked. "You must sacrifice what you love, a soul for a soul."

"What?" Tony did not believe his words. He stood up and shortened his distance with Red Skull. "The first thing I do is to doubt that that monster can feel love, and the second thing is: if you really love someone, why would you sacrifice her for the gem? How can you be able to do that?"

Love is relative, Mr. Stark." Tony felt a sting in his chest as he heard him call Mr. "I'm not saying it's the right way to love, but I can confirm that the soul stone would not have appeared if Thanos did not feel something for the woman, or at least he believed it that way. I can only say that Thanos thinks that it is the right thing to do, that everything will be better, what he had done, was thinking about a greater good for everyone, even if his ways have not been appropriate. Let me say that this is something admirable in a certain way. "

Tony thought about his words. It is true that he had sacrificed himself in one way or another to save the rest, but it was that, self-sacrifice. He was not sure if hecould do the same with a loved one, at least not if there is no assurance of victory. No, he never would, he could not sacrifice anyone. Before, he would think of a way to save them all, and in the worst case, he would sacrifice himself. 

That was him.

That was Anthony Stark.

"Tony." Both men turned to the trembling voice whose owner, the young blue woman, was still kneeling before the corpse of her sister. "Can we go, please?"

Tony could not see her face, since she was still on her back, but he was sure that her face could break the hearts of many people. It would be completely filled with pain and despair. Maybe even anger.

"Yes, of course." The brunet approached her again and crouched down. He saw Nebula withdraw her hands from the body and indirectly ask him to take it.

Tony almost took it for granted that even though Nebula might be able to carry it, she left it to him because she was not sure she could hold another weight right now. And the last thing she wanted was to damage what was left of her family.

Tony put an arm around the green woman's back and the other on her legs, then lifted her up as he stood up once more. He would take the body to the ship without problems, it was the least he could do.

They both began to walk back, but when they reached the height of Red Skull, Nebula stopped. Tony did the same thing two steps away, turning around.

"You said that part of Gamora was here." Nebula remembered the words just a few minutes ago. "Her body, I suppose, the other part, her soul ..."

"Her soul was given in exchange for the stone. It is more than possible that your sister's soul is in the stone itself."

"Is there any way to ...?" Nebula did not want to be ilusional, she really did not want to, but she could not help it. There were so many things she had not told Gamora, so many, that she would do anything to have another chance.

"A soul for a soul."

Nebula understood.

Tony understood.

Nebula decided that she would do what was necessary to recover Gamora. Tony promised to recover the soul of the young woman, without giving Nebula's in return.

\-----

It had been a few hours since they left Vormir. Tony had left Gamora in her room and told Nebula to stay with her as long as she needed, he would be in charge of piloting the ship to Earth.   
The young blue woman thanked him for the gesture and sat on a chair next to her.

"Can I ask you something?" said Nebula with her eyes still on her sister dead body.

"Yeah, sure." Tony was next to her, stand with his arms crossed.

"That boy, the spider thing, was he your son?"

Tony closed his eyes but regretted it instantly because the image of the disappearing teenager came to his head. He was just a kid.

"No, he was... someone who chose wrong whom to admire.   
I dragged him to something and from then he tried to impress me and let him be part of the team. But we did not want, he is too young. This type of war is not something made for people of that age. I think adults should fight so the kids could get a future in peace."

"... I guess it is a bad moment to say that a killed for the first time when I was eleven."

Tony's eyes went dark. He may only met Thanos for a few minutes but it was enough to get into his heart. His dark part. Everyhing more he knew about him is a punch that he wants to give to the Titan.

"Peter, although he was reckless, stubborn and disobeyed me for trying to impress me, is a great boy. I've taken a lot of appreciation and I'm going to avenge him while I bring him back.   
Maybe my motives are not as personal as yours, but I hope you let me give your father a couple of fists. Hum ... I'm sorry. To Thanos." 

"It's okay. I found myself sometimes calling him that too. But he isn't. He is not muy father."

"I understand. I had a shity daddy too."

Nebula look at him for the first time since they arrived. Then she smiles. "I hope you'll tell me that story someday."

"When you grow up" he smiles back.

\-------

When Tony returned a couple of hours later, he found the woman asleep. Knowing that it would be her first few hours of sleep in a long time, he covered her delicately with a blanket and went back to his seat.

What he did not notice is that he also fell asleep after setting the autopilot. He also did not notice that he was also placed a blanket over a while and that the seat next to him was occupied. He was too tired for that.

What he did hear, several hours later, is a whistle from the ship.   
The sign that the Earth was in full view.

Tony opened his eyes startled and looked everywhere. To his right, in another seat, Nebula opened her eyes too, not so surprised. The brunet fixed his eyes to the front and saw it, the Earth.

He, they, had arrived. And, for the first time, he feared that no one would remain alive. He shook his head. Someone is alive, for sure.

"Ready?" he asked.

"It's your planet, you lead."

Tony smiled on his side and took control of the ship again.


	3. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, i've been busy.  
> And there were a couple of things I changed many times.  
> I hope you like the chapter, guys. : D

Hardly a day had passed since the disappearance of half of the people he knows, and Steve Rogers had not yet assimilated the facts.

After the departure of Thanos, wounded but alive, the group, or what was left, met with a couple of new members. No one spoke, nobody knew what was happening.

Thor was the one who took the lifeless body of Vision and said to go to another place, there would not do anything.

Steve admired Thor's willpower. He could feel that he was carrying pain, sadness and anger in his body, but he always found a way to go on.

So there they were, going back to the great building in Wakanda.   
Steve, Thor, Natasha, Bruce, Rhodey, Okoye and Rocket.   
The rest had disappeared. Turned into ashes, into dust.

Upon arriving, they saw Shuri, the little princess of Wakanda, alive, bruised, but fine. She stopped being when she saw that his brother, King T'challa, was one of those who did not return. Okoye approached her prepared to apologize; she had not been able to protect her king. But the only thing the little girl did was to hold her while the tears began to fall down her cheeks.

The rest of the people sympathized with Shuri, she was just a baby. nobody had to go through that. And there was only one culprit: Thanos.

Steve left his memories behind when he heard someone knocking on his door. "Go ahead," he said as he walked away from the window.

Natasha Romanoff, also known as the Black Widow, entered the room. Steve's best friend, maybe something more. Since they both fled with Sam two years ago they had spent every day together. Protecting each other, defending each other. Steve almost considered Natasha the other part of his coin

"Steve?" asked the blonde, who despite having her wounds healed and changed her clothes, she seemed more tired and dejected than ever.

The blond approached her, who had entered the center of the room. No more words were needed, one look was enough. He was as broken as she was. They lost a lot of people, and they did nothing.

Steve wrapped his arms around the killer and pulled her to his chest. The blonde returned the hug forcefully. Maybe they were two of the most powerful people on Earth, heroes, but they were human after all. Nobody is free of pain.

They do not know how long they were like that, holding each other, giving each other security and stability, but they had no intention of breaking the moment. It was not until, a few minutes later, Rhodey arrived quickly. Despite being the door open, he gave several blows to it, calling the attention of the blondes.

"A ship has entered the atmosphere, we've contacted and it's... it's Tony."

Steve and Natasha looked at him, then looked at each other and smiled slightly. In spite of everything that happened two years ago, they were happy that the millionaire was still alive. He was a key piece on the board. And an old friend.

Steve took Natasha's hand and followed Rhodey to the outskirts.   
There was the rest waiting, and a ship came slowly towards the team. They were ready to add people to the group.

\------

The ship opened and two silhouettes were seen inside. A man and a woman. It was not until they came slowly down the ramp of the ship and stepped on land that the faces could be seen well. Nobody spoke in a couple of minutes. They did not know where to start. They were not even looking at each other's faces. It was Rocket who broke the ice.

"Nebula?" the young woman looked at him preparing to give the explanation in the best possible way. The raccoon seemed to be the only one left. There was no sign of the other possible survivor, the little tree, Groot. Nebula would never admit it, but she had almost taken a liking to him, almost. Tony also linked strings: it seemed to him that the animal belonged to Quill's group, that is why he knew Nebula. What was he doing on Earth then?

"... Rocket" said simply Nebula. She did not have the courage to tell him everything that had happened. Not right now. But she has to do it, sooner or later. There was something in the raccoon's eyes that expected to hear good news. Hope.

Rocket understood that there were more words in the woman's throat, that they did not come out. Something inside him broke, but he decided not to rush. He would understand everything afterwards.

"I'm glad you're fine, Stark," the thunder god spoke. "And your friend too."

They did not know if they were really good, but they appreciated the words of the blond. They assumed that breathing was a good thing.

Steve stepped forward. Then another. After letting go Natasha's hand he moved closer to the new couple. It was then when Tony looked into his eyes. Two years had passed since the last time they saw each other. Two. And that day is not that they cut the relationship in the most beautiful way possible. Both were still hurt by every blow they made, every word.

Tony also took a few steps forward and positioned himself a few inches from the Captain. Both are hurt, tired, desperate. It was not the moment to return to the past, both knew it. They had to work together.

Steve was the first, but narrowly. He stretched out his arms and surrounded the brunette hugging him. Tony returned the hug half a second later. There were so many feelings in the gesture that they could hardly notice any. They were a few seconds until they noticed another body hugging him from the side, a smaller body, of a woman. "Welcome home, Tony," Natasha said in the middle of the hug. Tony put an arm around her before kissing her hair.

A few minutes and several hugs later, Tony spoke for the first time in a somewhat emotional voice. He had promised not to cry, but his throat was taking its toll.

"Thor, can you enter the ship for a moment? We need help with something."

Thor nodded and entered the millionaire leaving his new partner alone with the group. Nebula took advantage of the moment to observe them. He seemed normal, human, like Tony or Quill. Would their powers be also for some suit or weapons? Perhaps the only thing that made the most impression was the tall blond he had entered. Nebula was not sure if it was a god or an angel.

Knowing that it was not time for presentations, that there would be time for it, she did not speak. She just stared at the surroundings. The rest did not say something either. They just looked at each other.

A minute and a half later, the pair of men returned. This time Thor was carrying someone in his arms and his face was unreadable. Nobody recognized the body, except himself and Rocket, who darted to see her up close.

"Gamora!" he shouted almost joy when he saw her. Until he remembered Nebula's eyes a few minutes ago. And the immobile body of the redhead. And the face of Tony, Thor and Nebula herself right now. "What happened to her?"

"Why do not we sit in a quieter place? We have a lot to talk about," Tony asked. It was time to gather information. To plan. To look for a solution. "Besides, I have to find Pepper, do you know something about her?"

The first thing is to heal your wounds, Tony"Rhodey said for the first time, seeing the sorry state of his friend." And Pepper is fine.   
I've talked to her, she's at home. "

Tony sighed in relief. At last he seemed to be able to breathe calmly. As soon as he explained things and could get a transport, he would go for her.

"And also to my companion, she needs help" the dark-haired man pointed at the young blue woman. "Her name is Nebula and she has saved my life."

"Lie," thought the young woman, although she appreciated the gesture.

"I barely know her, but if something happens to her, I'll kill all of you."

The group began to enter the large facilities of Wakanda. All except Nebula and Rocket. Tony looked at her and understood that she had to do something, possibly explain to the little raccoon what had happened to the group. Tony nodded wishing her the best of luck and disappeared behind doors with the rest.

Nebula sat on the stairs of the ship, Rocket did the same at her side.

"The rest are ... gone" confessed Nebula without knowing how to make it less painful. Rocket swallowed as he felt tears sting his eyes.

"Groot did it too, right in front of my nose, unable to do something," the animal shared this time. Nebula perfectly understood what he felt. She was sure it was the same thing she felt for Gamora. And speaking of her...

"About Gamora ..." the woman began again. Rocket had realized that something else had happened to her. She had not disappeared and she seemed ... dead. "Thanos killed her." Rocket noticed how Nebula's voice broke more with every word that came out of her mouth. Her words were full of guilt. Maybe some time ago Rocket would have reproached her for not being able to do something, but now he knew that Nebula's love for Gamora was real.

That news almost breaks Rocket's already cracked heart. The only thing he could do was reach his hand up to Nebula's, who grabbed it. They were people who don't know how to console, but they understood each other. They were two souls in pain, two empty bodies.

\------  
A few hours later, it was already getting dark, but that did not stop the Avengers, if they could still call themselves that, from meeting in a large room as they had agreed.

Tony's wounds had been treated as best he could, so much so that almost nothing hurt. Well, the stomach one does, there may be a scar left, but Tony did not care; it was a reminder that Thanos was still there, what he had done and that this was not over.

Nebula was also arranged, better than ever, thanks to Shuri.   
Bruce and Tony had insisted on helping, but the young princess did it, wanted and needed to distract her mind. And what better than being helpful? Her brother was not there now, but she would do her best to get him back, and this was the first step.

Gamora's body was preserved, as they once did with Bucky's.   
No one asked any questions, because Tony ask. It gave them the feeling that the green-skinned woman was more important than they could imagine.

And there was, then, the team gathered. Sitting on sofas and armchairs, looking at the coffee cups on the table that separated them. Who would start? Why? Would they have all the pieces of the puzzle?

"I think the first one to speak would be me," Thor began, making the rest look at him expectantly. Bruce nodded, letting him talk, he had more information.

"Go ahead, angel," Rocket encouraged him, who supposed he knew the story.

"My brother Loki, Bruce, Valkyria, Heimdall and I came back from Asgard after having to destroyed it, and it turns out that my sister Hela, whom I did not know anything about, came after our father died, wanting power to go to our planet to rule it. I returned to Asgard and to defeat my sister we caused Ragnarok, we managed to get people out on a big ship before that, I do not know if Hela will still be alive. We separated into two ships, the main one and a smaller one, in which Valkyria went with some asgardians towards a planet. Our ship was approached by Thanos and his henchmen shortly afterwards. They killed my people, Heimdall managed to send Bruce to Earth but he was killed afterwards, Thanos was looking for the gem of space to add to his glove, which already possessed the power stone and then... Loki sacrificed his life for me. He gave him the gem in exchange for my life and Thanos killed him. " Thor shut up. Telling the story had brought too many memories, very painful. His people, Heimdall, Loki ... All dead. And he live.

Nebula had begun to breathe faster than usual at the end of the story. Tony realized that, so he carefully placed a hand on her arm. He did not know what had happened, but it was not good for sure.

"My team was the one that saved him," Rocket continued.   
"Groot and I went with him to get a weapon and beat Thanos, then we showed up here." The rest of my companions-Quill, Gamora, Drax, and Mantis-went to the collector's home, who owned the gem of reality, I do not know what happened there. "

"When I arrived on Earth," Bruce continued, "I met a man with mystic arts, Dr. Strange, and his companion.They took me to Tony to report the situation. We were attacked by two Thanos subordinates. We fought against them as best we could, I ended up at the Avengers' place, with Rhodey, until you arrived." He pointed to Steve and Natasha.

"In that battle," Tony began, "a young friend, Parker, appeared and helped us." Steve remembered the young man, Spiderman said he would call if he remembered correctly. He also noted the pain and anger in Tony's eyes. The boy was gone, he was sure. "We ended up in a ship with Strange. They wanted the gem of time and he had it, we managed to defeat one of them, then we ended up in Titan, we met Quill's group and we waited to fight Thanos, there he already had the reality and the soul stone. He defeated us, just when he was going to finish me off, Strange gave him the gem of time, then he left, I figured he would come here, since the mind's got it ... he had Vision. "

"There really is not much more to tell here, Thanos's army came and we fought with them. Thanos finally came in. Most of us fell almost effortlessly, "Rhodey summarized, still wishing he could had done more.

"Only Steve got up again to face him, he tried to get time while Wanda destroyed Vision's gem" Natasha commented proudly of her companion, who looked at her somewhat nervously. "I would swear she got it, she destroyed it."

"Having the gem of time he could have rewound the moment, right?" Okoye asked, quite quiet until now.

"Yes, but the important thing is that the gems can be destroyed with enough power, Wanda got it, maybe we can do it again."   
The Captain was a little hopeful. "I hope we can count on you, Thor, you seem the only one with enough power."

Thor coughed something blushed. "Of course, mate."

"I do not even want to imagine what Wanda had to go through at the time of destroying the gem knowing that Vision would also die." Natasha's words silenced the group again.

"Wanda...?" Tony was scared. Really scared. It is true that the young woman was not in the room with them but maybe...

"She is gone" said Natasha with her voice broking.

Tony's heart cracked. Again. The last time he saw her was in prision. And the time before they were fighting. Tony has so many thing to tell her. So many. And the first one is an apologize.

"She did not deserved this. Any of them."

"I do not want to give you false hope" Shuri, the young princess, began "I barely had time to work on the gem of the mind, but I managed to get some Vision data from it. If we managed to fix the body and pass on the data, he could come back. He wouldn't be the same, clearly, perhaps he does remember anything, but less is nothing. "

"You really are the smartest person I've ever met," Bruce praised.   
"Count on me for what you need, your highness."

"And with me," Tony asked. "Before, I have to go to a couple of places, but in a couple of days I'm all yours."

"I'll go see Clint, I hope nothing has happened to him, Laura or the children," Natasha reported, rather worried.

"We do know anything about Fury or Hill either, I'll try to contact them again," Rhodey proposed.

"Do you remember Ant-man?" Steve suddenly asked.

"Who?" Rhodey was surprised.

"He was on my side two years ago, the one who became giant, you know."

"Oh, yes, a very impressive ability," Tony said.

"I'll go for him, I hope he is okay."

A few seconds passed in silence. Until they talked about the situation again. There were still things they did not understand. Many unanswered questions. Many vacuums in history.

"Why Thanos killed Gamora?" Rocket asked himself.

"Where did Thanos get the gem of the soul?" It was supposed to be missing, no one knew the location" asked, this time, the god of thunder.

"Why did Thanos attack now? It is known that he had been intending to get the gems for years, right?" the turn was now Bruce's.

"And what exactly did he want to do with the gems? To turn people into dust, is that all? Something will be behind everything."   
Steve finished the round of questions by crossing his arms over his chest.

Nebula swallowed hard she writhed in her seat. She knew the answers but was she sure to gives them? Was she ready for it? She thought of Gamora, her sister. She would, she was sure. So she looked at Tony, who nodded in support.

Then she got up from Tony's side and went to the next window. At once she noticed that all the eyes in the room were watching her. She took a deep breath. One, two, three times. "For Gamora," she thought.

"My name is Nebula, Thanos's daughter."


	4. Guilty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter four. : D  
> The things are coming. We just started.
> 
> I have to say that I had the idea for the fic before Endgame so it will not be like the movie.  
> If something is similar it will be a coincidence.  
> The only thing a put on the fic was Nebula and Rocket in the past chapter.
> 
> Sorry, again, for the mistskes.

"My name is Nebula, Thanos' daughter," the blue-skinned girl began.

For a moment he almost expected someone to jump asking for explanations or attacking her, but nobody spoke. Grateful for the gesture, she continued.

"Since I've known him, Thanos has had only one goal: to get the stones and make half of the universe disappear." On his home planet there were problems of overpopulation, food, resources ... So he set out to "save" the universe and half of its inhabitants, sacrificing the other half. In the beginning he started with smaller planets, looking for young girls and boys to take them with him and train them, to make his own army. During his visits, needless to say that he already put into practice leaving things in half. "

"So, you ...?" Shuri started with some fear.

Nebula turned to look at her. 

"Yes, I was one of those girls that she adopted, to put it beautifully, she trained us, she made us fight against ourselves, she transformed us into assassins. Gamora always stood out, she really was the best. The first few years we were always together, looking for every little moment to share it and forget about the rest. Came a moment when Thanos saw it as a weakness, so he forced us to fight again and again. When one of us lost one part of the body was supplanted by a machine, hoping to be stronger. Gamora did not lose once, so she became Thanos's secret weapon, a woman capable of beating anyone. "

Tony and Rocket already knew the story, but still their stomach turned. The rest looked at her and listened surprised. How many times would they have fought? Practically more than half of Nebula was machinery. Would he really made two people fight to break their bonds?

"Years ago," Nebula continued, "the power stone was found. A Thanos subordinate almost got hold of her, but Rocket and the rest, my sister included, stopped him, so they left the gem in a safe place. After another incident, Gamora asked me to stay with the group, I did not, I had so much hatred and rancor towards my father that I wanted to find him and destroy him with my own hands. When I finally found my father I fought him but he won, again. He spent a few months torturing me, trying to get any information out of me, or just as a punishment, I was a disappointment to him, that is clear. He discovered where the gem of the soul was, I told him. "

Even though they all realized that he said "my father" in a moment, nobody said anything.

"Did you know where the gem was?" he asked surprised Rocket, it was the first news he had of this.

"Well, no, I did not know, but he found a part of my memory where Gamora told me that she had found it, she had a map which she burned so that our father would not get hold of it. Soon I was able to see Thanos with two stones, the one of power and the one of space, not a few hours had passed when he came back, this time with the gem of reality and Gamora, he used me to let Gamora confess where the soul stone was and he got it, I guess he came to be right about what he taught us. "

"Our father." Tony frowned.

A fist hit the table hard. The group turned to look at Thor with a little-seen look before on his face. 

"Loki did the same for me, he gave his life and the stone to save me, how can he be so miserable to use the love of people against ourselves?"

"Well, there's more," Tony commented, gaining the rest's attention now. Nebula nodded and let Tony finish. "When Nebula and I were left alone after what happened, we went to Vormir, the planet where the stone was supposed to be, there we found Red Skull."

"Red Skull!" But did not he die in the War? " Steve was surprised. He would swear he had defeated him that time.

"It seems not. Well there he was, and he said that his punishment was knowledge and guiding people to the gem of the soul. He told us that Thanos had to make a sacrifice to get it. A soul for a soul. But it could not be anyone, but someone you care about and, with everything that Nebula has just told us, you will imagine that the perfect soul was Gamora's. He sacrificed his soul for the gem. We picked up the body and we came here. That is all."

"Did he killed his own daughter to get the stone?" Bruce did not believe his friend's words. It seemed like a joke in bad taste.

"Red Skull said, in addition, that Gamora's soul is possible to be in the own gem."

"Then is it possible to recover her again?" Okoye asked trying to understand this last part.

"By asking that question, he simply told us 'a soul for a soul'"

"So we can bring Gamora back by giving another soul in return, right?" Rocket asked.

"We do not know, I have no idea how that gem works, we barely know it."

"Anyway, thanks for the help, Nebula, it did not have to be easy for you," Natasha thanked as she looked at the girl.

"Thank you? why do you thank me?" she asked surprised as her voice broke.

"Huh?"

"If I had not entered Thanos's ship he would not have captured me, if I was stronger I would have finished with him earlier. It was from me that he got information. Because of me Gamora was taken and that's why she died, it's all my fault! "

The room remained silent. It is true that Nebula was in many wrong places at the wrong time but that did not make her guilty. She was just another victim, perhaps the most.

"Nebula" the god called her "I promise you that we will defeat Thanos."

"What ...?"

"We are going th get Gamoras back" said Rocket, perhaps trying to convince himself there was a possibility.

"Missing people will come back to life," Bruce agreed.

Steve got up and approached the young woman. As he stop next to her he placed his hand gently on her shoulder, and then felt she got tense.

"This is not your fault, Thanos has simply known how to play his cards well and he has taken advantage of all of us, but this is not over, now is the time to turn the situation around, and the important thing is, will you be with us? "

Nebula opened her mouth but no sound came from her.   
She looked at Tony for a couple of seconds, who smiled at her slightly. Then the sight turned the man next to him, saw in his eyes a difficult past, like hers, but there he was, ready to fight once more. She could feel her body relaxing at the touch. She sighed once and nodded.

"I'm with you."

Steve smiled and, although he was sad, Nebula thought it was a beautiful smile.

\-----  
The next morning came more quickly than expected, although the group was able to sleep, little, but less is nothing.

Despite continuing to be tired and injured, they decided that it was best to gather potential survivors before planning their movements and finish recovering. It's the least they could do.

Tony, as he said, was preparing to go find Pepper, Happy and Aunt May, which is the least he could do for young Parker.

Thor tried to remember the planet that Valkyria told him she would go to investigate to leave the Asgardians there, to go and ask her to join them.

Natasha was ready to go to Clint's hiding place, but she waited for the men to finish to leave at once.

Shuri and Bruce were already working on the information obtained from Vision. And, in the end, Rocket also tried to lend a hand with the android to reform it.

Okoye continued to be responsible for the restoration of her plece. It would cost time and effort, but they would make it. ForT'challa.

Rhodey tried to contact Fury again, but it was impossible. Neither Hill answered, so Tony and Steve promised to go and take a look when they finished theirs missions.

And, speaking of Steve, the captain would go, as he had said, to Scott Lang's house, Ant-man for close friends. He also asked Nebula to accompany him. The young woman was not sure why she was asking, but she accepted. The thing is she needed a small change of appearance. The fact that half the population had evaporated and her non-human appearance couldbe a little oroblem.

Thus, the geniuses of the group, modified, rather ended, quickly a bracelet that changed the appearance of whoever wore it.   
Nebula was not very convinced at first but ended up putting it on.

"I do not notice any difference" she said when placing it on his left wrist.

"Wait, you have to activate it" informed Bruce as he pressed one of the two small buttons that were on it.

A small light came out of her and illuminated the young woman.   
When the light went out the silence and astonished took over the room. Nebula almost scared. Almost.

"What happens? What's going on?"

Shuri took her hand and brought her to a large mirror that adorned the entrance to the house. When she arrived, Nebula looked at herself just to be speechless.

A young woman of the same height and weight looked at her. But, this young woman had long, red hair, big green eyes, pink lips, human skin and yes, everything was skin. There was no sign of machinery.

Nebula did not remember much of his own body before it began to be modified, but maybe, just maybe, it could be that way. Except for the skin tone, of course. She would be blue. What she noticed is that her eyes began to tarnish. Tears? How long did she not cry? Nebula coughed and composed herself as best she could.

She turned to Shuri, who smiled at her and then at the others, who were gathered either to leave or to say goodbye. The group had a combination of feelings in the body: surprise, admiration, happiness, joy. For a moment she wished Mantis was here to tell her what they thought and felt. Or maybe she just wanted to see her innocent eyes again.

Nebula coughed again without realizing that she had gone completely red.

"Are we going, Captain?"

"Yes, yes," he replied, waking up from sleep and grabbing his backpack and Nebula's. When he approached her, he gave it to her.

"Rogers."

Steve turned and saw Tony approach with backpack over his shoulder.

"Stark."

"If something happens to her, Thanos will be the least of your problems.

"Okay."

Nebula felt something in her chest. Something warm.

\------

When Tony Stark arrived home, hours later, he entered quickly and began to search for his fiancee. Until he remembered.

"FRIDAY, are you there?

"Yes, Mr. Stark, it's nice to have you back." Another twinge in the chest.

"Where is Pepper? Have you seen her? Is she here?" he asked quickly with fear and without stopping to walk and search on his own.

"Miss Potts is in her room."

Tony let out the air that he did not know or that he was holding and thanked everyone who might have had something to do with this. But Thanos. Not him.

He ran through the corridors until he reached his destination, called a couple of times as a courtesy and entered. It was dark, so he turned on the light.

And there she was, Pepper Potts, her fiancee. His heart was beating so fast as he saw her sleeping. As he approached he noticed the bags under her eyes. Something told him that she had not rested for many hours.

He did not want to wake her up so he sat beside her and stroked her face. Tony felt like the luckiest man in the world to have her. So much was lost in his thoughts that he did not realize that the woman seemed to wake up until she spoke.

"Tony, it is really you?" she asked hoarsely and half broken. Looking at her, Tony saw her eyes watering.

"Yes, it's me, I'm home, honey," he said with all the sweetness he could muster.

Pepper sat up quickly and hugged him tightly before the tears fell down her cheeks. Tony hugged her back while he could not control his tears either.

\-----

A good while later, when both had calmed down, they were in the kitchen eating while Tony gave him a summary of what had happened. Pepper did not credit what she heard.

"So, Happy ..." the blonde began.

"What happens with Happy?"

"About the time you said everything happened, I thought I heard Happy calling from outside the house, when I opened the door I saw ash flying" she explained more and more sad when she realized what had happened.

"... We'll bring him back, do not worry."

Pepper smiled sadly. 

"Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise you."

\----

"Before returning with the rest to Wakanda we have to go elsewhere," informed the millionaire leaving home with his fiance.

"Something about Peter?" Pepper asked carefully.

Tony stopped his march and turned around. 

"She disappeared in my arms, Pepper, I have to see if her aunt is okay, tell her what happened. I have to face her and protect her, because I own him and..."

Pepper approached the man she loved and placed her hands on her cheeks. Then he brought the fronts together.

"It's okay. I'll go with you, I will not leave you alone at any time."

Tony smiled hugging his girlfriend.

"Oh, yes, something else."

"What happens?" Pepper asked calmly, Tony's tone was not worrying this time.

"I've adopted someone, I think."

Pepper raised her eyebrows in surprise before laughing and kissing her fiance's lips. He will never change. And she was more than happy with that.


End file.
